We believe that everyone has the right to quality higher education, regardless of their socioeconomic circumstances — something that is emphasized in our mission. Since 2016, we have partnered with the Pelican Bay State Prison administration and education department to provide face-to-face college classes to their incarcerated population through our Pelican Bay Scholars Program.
Many people forget or devalue the “rehabilitation” mission of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Prison is a form of punishment for criminal offenses, while rehabilitation is a process aimed at helping individuals address the underlying issues that led to their criminal behavior and reintegrate into society. For many of our Pelican Bay Scholars, prison is the first time they have ever had a positive educational experience. Many of them offended at very young ages, are from disadvantaged backgrounds, or were part of the foster care system. They did not have strong support systems that valued education and were not given the tools to be successful in school.
Research conducted by the RAND Corporation between 1980 and 2017 found that inmates who were able to access education programs in prison had 48% lower odds of re-offending and ending up back in prison than those who were not. That is nearly a 50% improvement in recidivism rates, and it climbs even higher with higher levels of education. Sixty-nine percent of our students have a parole date, which means that they will be released and need to re-enter society. This is why it is vitally important that we prepare them with skills and opportunities to become productive and peaceful members of our communities.
I would like to share an excerpt from the commencement address at our recent Pelican Bay graduation ceremony that I think illustrates the transformative nature of the work that is being done going on there.
“Coming to prison at 16, and being told that I was now an inmate, made me start believing it. I started thinking as an inmate. I perceived the world through that lens. As an inmate I was comfortable in here, living under these conditions. Assuming an inmate mindset had prevented me from dreaming of life outside of prison,” said student Pharaoh Amun-Edwards cn the Commencement address.
“What happened (when I became a Pelican Bay Scholar was that), when I referred to myself as an inmate, I was constantly told, ‘that’s not who you are to us’ and ‘when you’re in my class, you’re a student.’ As a student, I was able to reconnect with who I was before I became an inmate and by doing so, I’ve been able to heal and grow into a person that I can look in the mirror at and be proud of.”
“So, for me, my college experience has been about more than just education. It’s been a journey of transformation from an inmate to a student, which is important because there are no inmates in society. There is no role or place for inmates in society, but there is a place for students.”
I am proud to share that the number of degrees we offer in the Pelican Bay Scholars Program is strong and our enrollments have increased by approximately 15% over the last four years. The PBSP currently offers four associate degrees in sociology, social work and human services, behavioral and social science, humanities and communication, and science exploration that can be fully completed while in Pelican Bay. Soon, we will offer additional degrees in communication studies and psychology, as well as certificates in entrepreneurial business and addiction studies. Cal Poly Humboldt President Tom Jackson also believes in this mission, and I am optimistic that they will soon offer baccalaureate degree options in partnership with CR for our Pelican Bay Scholars.
It is clear to our Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, and administrators that our Pelican Bay Scholars Program is a powerful and cost-effective tool for incarcerated student rehabilitation and renewal. I am convinced more now than ever that the value of our Pelican Bay Scholars Program go beyond simple fiscal benefits. Our faculty have helped incarcerated students discover new strengths and given them a direction that changed how they view themselves and the world.
I would like to thank the Pelican Bay administration and education department for partnering with CR staff Rory Johnson and Tory Eagles to implement a proven rehabilitation program that has the ability to put people back on track to meaningful opportunities. I would also like to thank the full-time and associate faculty who have taught in the prison: Christopher Callahan, Daniel Chick, Nathalie Dierkx, Karyn-Lynn Fisette, Levi Gill, Deanna Herrera, Bernadette Johnson, Ashley Knowlton, Will Meriwether, Jon Pedicino, George Potamianos, Ruthe Rhodes, Danielle Carmesin, Melissa Courtnage, Daniel Dawson, Deborah Gerth, Jesse Leimer, Stephen McCamman, Jennifer Miles, Lisa Pedicino, Kady Pomerleau, Celia Perez, Armeda Reitzel, Sandra Rowan, Angela Schauber, John Schutt, David Sedgwick, Erica Silver, Heather Snow, and Sam Zahn.
I am firm believer that, from both a moral and logical perspective, investing in education in our prisons is a valuable benefit to society, and ensures that all people — regardless of their past — are given an opportunity to thrive in the future.
The California Community College Board of Governors also recognizes the value of providing higher education to our state’s prisons and invited Rory Johnson, dean of the Del Norte Campus and Pelican Bay education program, to present the wonderful work he and his staff are doing to bring College of the Redwoods classes to our Pelican Bay Prison students to the BOG at their last meeting. We hope that the model we have created for a partnership between higher education and the correctional system in this important endeavor can be replicated in other prisons across the state.
Dr. Keith Flamer is the president of the College of the Redwoods.
